People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets

The People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets (PATH) was a minor political party in Tower Hamlets, London, England composed of councillors who had formerly been members of Tower Hamlets First and then the Tower Hamlets Independent Group.[1][2][3][4] The group was formed by Cllr Rabina Khan and her husband Cllr Aminur Khan as a split from the Tower Hamlets Independent Group in November 2016.[2] Khan disbanded the party in 29 August 2018 and later joined the Liberal Democrats.[5]

People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets
LeaderRabina Khan
Founded26 February 2018
Dissolved29 August 2018
Split fromTower Hamlets Independent Group
Headquarters25 Callaghan Cottages
Lindsey Street
London

Background

Tower Hamlets First was established by Lutfur Rahman on 18 September 2013. The party stood candidates in the 2014 Tower Hamlets Council election,[6][7] where it won 18 out of 45 seats, becoming the second largest party on Tower Hamlets Council, and the fifth largest political party out of all London borough councils. The party was suspended in 23 April 2015, after an Election Court report that found Rahman "personally guilty of 'corrupt or illegal practices' or both" with the party labelled as a "one-man band". The party was removed from the list of political parties maintained by the Electoral Commission on 29 April 2015.

Following the dissolution of Tower Hamlets First, the majority of former party members established the Tower Hamlets Independent Group (THIG) to co-ordinate activity on the council. Six members subsequently left the Tower Hamlets Independents to form the competing People's Alliance group.[8] Cllr. Rabina Khan formally registered the People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets with the Electoral Commission on 26 February 2018.[9][10]

Initial representation

Until the elections on 3 May 2018, the People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets had 6 out of the 45 Council seats in the Tower Hamlets Council.[11]

Ward Councillor
Shadwell Rabina Khan
Mile End Shah Alam
St Peter's Abjol Miah
Whitechapel Abdul Asad
Aminur Khan
Shafi Ahmed

Rabina Khan had previously been elected as a Labour Party candidate and then as a Tower Hamlets First candidate. Abjol Miah was previously elected as a Respect Party councillor.[12]

2018 elections and party disbands

Khan stood in the 2018 elections for directly elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets,[13] coming second, and the party stood in all but one ward at the 2018 borough elections.[14] Khan was re-elected as a Councillor, but the party won no other seats.

In August, Khan disbanded the party with her and colleagues switching to the Liberal Democrats.[15]

Former PATH councillor Abjol Miah stood as a Liberal Democrat candidate in a by-election for the Shadwell ward on 7 February 2019. However, he was suspended from the party the day of the vote for sharing an antisemitic video on Twitter and Facebook in 2014 by David Duke.[16]

See also

References
  1. Brooke, Mike (23 November 2017). "Tower Hamlets councillors storm out over vote to cooperate with police probing corrupt Lutfur Rahman election".
  2. "Exclusive: Lutfur Rahman making political comeback with new party". 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. "Tower Hamlets to take anti-cuts fight into the council chamber". Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  4. "Campaigner who took Rahman to court plans legal action over former Tower Hamlets First councillors - Eastlondonlines". 22 May 2015.
  5. "'The time has come': People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets disbanding to join forces with former Liberal Democrat rivals". 30 August 2018.
  6. "Local Elections - Thursday, 22nd May, 2014". Tower Hamlets Council. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  7. "Manifesto 2014" (PDF). Tower Hamlets First. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2014.
  8. "Fraud-Free Zone". Private Eye. No. 1410. 22 January 2016. p. 18.
  9. People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets registration
  10. "Electoral Commission gives People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets recognition as a political party for council election". 28 February 2018.
  11. "Mayor and Councillors". Tower Hamlets Council. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  12. "Respect councillors resign the whip". TheGuardian.com. 29 October 2007.
  13. "Tower Hamlets mayor election rivals in tug-of-war as 'breach of protocol' row erupts". 7 March 2018.
  14. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Rabina Khan joins Liberal Democrats". 29 August 2018.
  16. "Lib dem by-election candidate is suspended for promoting antisemitic videos". 7 February 2019.
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